Autumn Blues
by melarocco
Summary: Slash -ToddKurt- Short Companion piece to 'Sleep of Innocents'. Written for the toddkurtslash challenge 10. The change of seasons affects Kurt more than he would like to admit.


A chill breeze swept across the grounds of the Institute, rustling the multicoloured leaves in the trees, bending the blades of grass before it. The sun was just setting, and the last rays were setting the trees aflame, glinting off red, russet and gold. This close to Winter the sun fell behind the horizon early and did not rise until late, leaving the evenings and the early mornings strangely ethereal, as if those moments were outside normal time.  
  
High up at the rear of the mansion, Kurt Wagner was crouched on the stone railing that surrounded the balcony to his room, wearing only a light pair of trousers despite the cool air, revelling in the feel of the breeze as it ruffled the fur on his chest and back. Idly, his tail curled and uncurled around the same stone railing upon which he sat as his eyes, glowing golden in the sunset, stared unseeing out across into the gathering twilight.  
  
Years spent with the circus had taught Kurt to wake early and stay up late no matter the time of year and coming to the Institute had not changed his habits. He was always up for hours after his companions had retired to bed and was often the first to rise, apart from Wolverine who never seemed to sleep. At this time of year, that meant he was still up long after the sun had set, and was up hours before it rose again to greet the new day.  
  
Autumn was Kurt's favourite season. Although, he wryly amended mentally, perhaps 'favourite' was a rather extravagant term to use. He tended to suffer through Summer with overheating because of his fur, and the heat made him shed everywhere, which he disliked intensely. Winter, although he felt it less than some due to that same fur, was just too cold for his liking. That left Spring and Autumn and while Spring had its obvious advantages – the growth of new life, the promise of what was to come – it was probably more appropriate to say that Autumn, with its gloom and damp chills, suited his personality better.  
  
With the stifling heat of Summer now over, and practically forgotten, the world around him seemed to wither and die as the encroaching Winter stretched its icy claws into the landscape, getting its first grip. Thinking this, he glanced down at his own hands – paws, he thought irritably, grimacing at them. The deep blue colour of his fur never frustrated him as much as it did right now. Nature was capable of producing such amazing colours – the green, red and gold of the leaves in the trees, the beautifully patterned pelts of animals – but nowhere else had he ever seen anything with fur the same colour as him. Everywhere he looked he felt he was forcibly reminded of just how unnatural he was.  
  
"Kurt?"  
  
The quiet voice immediately brought him back to his surroundings, questioning and concerned, tender and loving. He shifted on his perch and turned to find Todd standing a few feet away, wearing only the black boxer shorts in which Kurt had left him some time ago drowsing on Kurt's bed and with his arms wrapped around himself against the cold. The position hid the scar Kurt knew was on the other boy's left arm, mute testament to a misery that had almost broken him.  
  
"What's up, yo?" Todd asked, tilting his had to one side, an almost unfathomable look in his eyes that Kurt knew so well. It was a look that asked too many questions to voice.  
  
"Nothing, liebchen," Kurt answered, eyes fixed on his boyfriend's worried face, absorbing every line and angle. He looked away after an interminable period of time.  
  
"Bullshit," Todd retorted good-naturedly, causing Kurt to glance back at him, and then a small, tired smile to quirk the corners of his mouth.  
  
"You know me too well," he said softly, and Todd snorted.  
  
"Maybe, but it hardly takes a genius to work out something's wrong when you disappear and come out here to sit in the frickin' cold for an hour."  
  
Kurt was startled. He'd really been sat out here for an hour?  
  
"It's not that cold," he said, unable to think of anything else to say.  
  
"For you!" Todd raised an eyebrow. "We don't all have the advantage of your fur, y'know?"  
  
Kurt stared sharply at his lover, golden eyes focussing suddenly. Although he had almost expected to see some sort of mockery on Todd's face there was nothing except mild irritation and concern. "You think my fur is an advantage?" he asked quietly. Todd's eyebrows shot up under his hair.  
  
"Right now? Hell yeah," the amphibian mutant responded, finally seeing why his companion was so moody but not sure what to say to him. He wrapped his arms tighter around himself. "You got any idea what being out here is doin' to me?" he asked then, and Kurt abruptly noticed that Todd was shivering.  
  
"Go inside and put some clothes on, idioten," Kurt said fondly, but Todd frowned stubbornly.  
  
"I'm not leavin' unless you come with me, yo," he muttered. "I came here to be with you."  
  
That simple statement, said so plaintively, combined with the imploring look coming from Todd's eyes, framed by his still frowning face, flipped a switch inside Kurt as he came to a sudden realisation.  
For the first time in his life he was no longer alone.  
  
_"I came here to be with you."_  
  
A single tear rolled from his eye into the fur of his face before he could stop it and he swallowed to stop himself crying any more.  
  
With a puff of smoke and a whiff of sulphur he vanished from the ledge to reappear behind Todd, wrapping his arms around the smaller mutant and sharing his body heat. With a small happy sigh Todd leant back into his furry lover, revelling in the touch of fur against his skin. With gentle insistence Kurt turned him around and as his three-fingered hands started rubbing the other's back and he felt two hands gripping the fur covering his chest, he captured Todd's lips with his own, taking his lower lip and sucking gently on it, nipping it lightly without breaking the skin. Todd groaned and pushing himself against Kurt, the heat suddenly rising from both their bodies, Kurt's tongue slid into Todd's mouth and the other boy met it with his own, pushing them together.  
  
Kurt scraped his claws down Todd's back as he felt thumbs teasing his nipples. They moaned simultaneously into each other's mouths as Todd's hands slipped down Kurt's powerfully muscled body to the waistband of his trousers. Kurt broke the kiss, pulling a protesting sigh from Todd, who stared up at him with pupils so dilated there was barely a sliver of colour showing around the edges.  
  
"Warmer?" he asked, panting for breath.  
  
"Mmm," Todd replied, ducking his head to take one of Kurt's nipples into his mouth and suck on it, playing with it with his tongue.  
  
"Mein Gott!" Kurt cried softly, throwing his head back. He grabbed Todd tighter and teleported them directly onto his bed. Todd flipped them over so that he was on top, straddling his blue lover. As Kurt's tail wrapped itself around Todd's calf the younger mutant pinned Kurt's arms above his head and bent down close so he could whisper in his ear.  
  
"Bein' with you is my life, you dumb blue elf," he said, his breath making Kurt's ear tingle. "Maybe I haven't said that enough, but I get it now. You need me as much as I need you. I ain't exactly been there for ya, have I?" Kurt opened his mouth to protest, but Todd silenced him with a firm kiss that set Kurt's pulse racing. "Quiet, yo, I'm talkin'." He smirked, which softened into a caring smile. "You've been there for me through things I never thought anyone'd stick by me through, dawg, and it's time I returned the favour." He paused, making sure he had Kurt's full attention. "I love you Kurt," he said simply with such utter sincerity and pleasure that tears sprang to Kurt's eyes. He pulled one hand free and reached up to cup Todd's face, heart skipping as the other boy closed his eyes, nuzzling into it. Kurt stared with wondering eyes at his companion, whispering the first word that came into his head.  
  
"Schön," he breathed, and Todd opened his eyes, obviously wondering what he had said but smiling gently when the expression on Kurt's face made it obvious it was a compliment. Blushing slightly, Todd ducked his face back into Kurt's hand, then glanced up again, a mischievous look on his face.  
  
"Y'know, I'm still kinda cold," he said, and Kurt grinned up at him.  
  
"Well let's see what we can do about that, shall we?"  
  
He swiftly reversed their positions and Todd desperately tried to restrain his giggling and moaning as Kurt enthusiastically began to warm him up, thinking that Autumn was looking up if they could do this a little more often.


End file.
